Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters and Biota. Volume 2: Ocean and Coastal Economy. 2009. figs. tabs. XVIII, 110 p. gr8vo. Hardcover.

The second volume of the multivolumed work assesses the Gulf of Mexico as a single economic region. The book provides information and baseline data useful for assessing the goals of economic and environmental sustainability in the Gulf. In five chapters, economists, political scientists, and ecologists from Florida, California, Louisiana, Texas, Maine, and Mexico cover topics such as: the idea of the Gulf as a transnational community / the quantitative value of its productivity / a summary of the industries dependent on the Gulf, including shipping, tourism, oil and gas mining, fisheries, recreation, and real estate / the human uses and activities that affect coastal economies / and the economic trends evident in Mexico's drive toward coastal development.

This reference work will be useful to scientists, economists, industry leaders, and policy makers whose work requires an understanding of the economic issues involved in science, business, trade, exploration, development, and commerce in the Gulf of Mexico.